Alarm about the degradation of the playground system in Song Lam Nghe An
The seriously degraded field system is putting Song Lam Nghe An youth football in an alarming situation. If there is no solution soon, the brand of one of the leading football training centers in Vietnam is at risk of being shaken.
Sad reality
It can be affirmed that, of the 14 clubs competing in V-League 2024/25,Lam River Nghe AnAlong with Hanoi, Viettel is considered to be a unit with a systematic youth training system, always achieving stable results from year to year when competing in youth tournaments organized by the Vietnam Football Federation.
In particular, the Nghe An football team has built a youth training system with in-depth human resources and always actively contributes to the Vietnam National Teams. Currently, this training center has nearly 200 young players with 9 training classes from U9 to U21.
However, the increasingly degraded training ground system is becoming a major obstacle, threatening the achievements and tradition in youth football training.
Currently, the Nghe An football team owns 1 natural grass training ground and 2 artificial grass training grounds. These training grounds have been severely damaged over time. The natural grass field is almost unusable as the field surface is only bare soil and sand, no different from a plowed field.
“The field surface is damaged due to many objective and subjective reasons, from harsh weather, pests to overload when too many classes practice at the same time. The irrigation system and maintenance machines are not enough, leading to the field condition getting worse and worse,” a field caretaker shared helplessly.
Similarly, the center’s artificial turf field No. 1 has reached its expiration date. The rubber layer has collapsed, making the field as hard as concrete, while the artificial turf has peeled off, revealing the rubber base underneath. In addition, the lighting system has been largely burned out and severely damaged, affecting late afternoon practice sessions.
Threat to performance
Faced with the deterioration of the training ground, the leadership of Song Lam Nghe An was forced to ask the youth teams to stop practicing on natural grass and wait for a solution. This has significantly affected the preparation process for important tournaments such as the national U13, U15, and U17.
“The new season is approaching but we don’t have a natural grass field to practice on. Having to practice on artificial turf with many teams at the same time seriously affects the tactical training plan. The players don’t have the feeling of the ball and the necessary space to absorb the coach’s tactical ideas,” said the head coach of the U17 team, Mr. Hai Nam.
Due to a lack of training grounds, the nine youth teams had to be concentrated on two artificial turf pitches, divided into two time slots each afternoon. The scene of two to three teams training on the same pitch was a regular occurrence. In particular, at artificial turf pitch number 1, the pitch was severely degraded, making it impossible for players to play at high intensity, and at the same time, they faced the risk of serious injury.
During a training session that the reporter recorded, two injuries occurred simply because the pitch was too hard and lacked elasticity. Player Duc Anh (SLNA U14) suffered an ankle injury, and Viet Duy (SLNA U17) had a large piece of skin peeled off on his thigh and arm. These are just two of many cases of injuries due to poor pitch conditions.
“We are very worried about the players every time they practice on artificial turf field No. 1. If this situation continues, it will definitely affect their performance and health. We hope the field will be improved as soon as possible,” added coach Hai Nam.
It can be affirmed that Song Lam Nghe An is one of the leading youth football training centers in Vietnam. This center not only provides excellent human resources for the national teams but also regularly achieves high results in youth tournaments organized by the Vietnam Football Federation. However, if the field condition is not improved, the risk of losing its position is entirely possible. Without a standard training ground, the quality of training will decline, which means that the achievements of the youth teams at the upcoming 2025 National U13, U15, U17, U21 tournaments will be seriously affected.